Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Oaklee
“I couldn’t eat another bite,” I insist, trying to keep from releasing the button on my capris so they’re not so tight around the waist.
“Worth it, right?”
“Soooo, worth it,” I agree, drawing out that first word.
“Well, how was it?” Mario asks, appearing as if summoned.
“It was the best pizza I’ve ever had,” I tell him, earning a wide grin.
“I’m so happy to hear. I assume you’re too full for dessert,” he says, a little glint in his hazel eyes.
“Definitely,” I say
“I could eat something,” Cade states, patting his belly as if he didn’t just polish off two pepperollies, the same number of breadsticks, and half a deep-dish pizza.
“Of course you can. You’re like a human garbage disposal,” Mario teases.
“Anyway, I took the chance that my new friend here likes chocolate, so I made one of my famous cookies, still warm from the oven,” he says, placing two bags on the table.
“And I’m including some of our homemade ice cream you can add to the top when you’re ready. It’s all bagged up and ready to go.”
My mouth drops open. “You make your own ice cream?”
“Of course! I’d never buy it if I was going to serve it to my customers. Everything here is fresh and made to order, including the ice cream.”
Cade reaches for the bags. “Spoons?”
“Two in there, my hungry friend. Make sure the beautiful woman gets her share.”
Cade’s mouth drops open. “One time I ate more than my half. It’s not my fault she took too long in the bathroom.”
Mario barks out a laugh, making his entire belly shake. “She was pissed too, rightfully so, considering she was the one who ordered it.” He levels me with humor-filled eyes and adds, “He ate the whole thing, my new friend. The. Whole. Thing.”
Cade rolls his eyes. “Let’s go. I don’t want you subjected to any more of this man’s lies.”
Mario cackles hard and sets the bill down on the table. “Don’t skip out on the check, buster.” Then, he turns and heads toward one of the neighboring tables to say hello.
Cade grabs the check and his credit card and hands it to Taylor as she approaches. When she moves to the counter, he turns to me and says, “I know we tease each other a lot, but it’s only because we really like each other. Mario’s a great guy.”
“Oh, so he was teasing when he said you ate your date’s dessert?” I ask, knowing what’s coming.
Cade winces. “In my defense, I didn’t eat it all, as indicated.”
I can’t help but giggle and take the bag from his hand. “I think I’ll hang on to this, thank you very much.”
All he does is smile, and when Taylor brings his card and the slip back, he scribbles his name down and a healthy tip without even batting an eye. “Ready?” he asks.
“Yes.” As we move through the room, Cade finally acknowledges those in the room with a wave goodbye. We step outside, the sun falling in the September sky.
I climb inside the truck, Cade right there to open and close the door for me. As I fasten my seat belt, I give him my complete attention. “Thank you for dinner.”
His eyes are soft, full of delight and maybe…desire? “You’re welcome. Thank you for accepting.” He starts the truck and turns on the air. “Well, what do you think, Oaklee? Wanna take a little ride with me?”
“Is that code?” I ask, trying not to think about Cade getting naked, but failing miserably.
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” he teases with a big smile. “I don’t sleep with my gal friends.”
“Right,” I reply, heavy on the sarcasm.
“I don’t.”
My mind spins a little. He doesn’t sleep with his friends? Just random women? From what I hear about him, he never falls short on finding company to warm his bed, not that it matters to me. I’m not looking for that, right?
But then Allison’s suggestion comes back to me.
I’m not looking for serious right now, but maybe a little fun would do my wounded ego and pride some good, you know?
“So…you don’t want to sleep with me?” I find myself asking, even though I should probably keep it to myself.
He turns to face me, leveling me with an intense look. “More than I want my next breath.”
“But you just said you don’t sleep with gal friends.”
“I don’t.”
I rub the side of my head. “You’re a little hard to follow sometimes.”
He flashes an award-winning grin. “Actually, I’m not.
If you wanted to have sex right now, I’d take you back to my place and give you more orgasms than you could count.
I’m not being cocky, beautiful. That’s a promise, and I always fulfil my promises.
But something tells me you’re not ready for that, considering you just got out of a serious relationship, so until then, I’ll be your friend.
Your very hot man friend, who wants to strip you naked and do wicked things to you with his tongue.
” He winks, and I feel my cheeks heat up and my nipples pebble against my bra.
“In fact, I’ve already done it three times in my mind. ”
Warmth rushes through my veins and floods my core, causing me to wiggle a little in my seat.
I’ve never…throbbed like this. I was with Lance for six years, and it never felt like this.
This heavy sexual tension that’s practically a living, breathing entity between us.
Just more proof than we weren’t right for each other.
I was always second best, my needs lagging behind whatever his were.
The thought of being at the top of Cade’s list is thrilling.
“Any more questions?”
“Umm, I don’t think so.”
“Well, if you come up with more, just ask. I’m an open book, Oaklee. I’ll never beat around the bush or lie. You want to know something, ask me.” He puts the truck in reverse. “Oh, and when you’re ready for those orgasms, all you have to do is ask.”
The air in the truck cab is stifling, even with the air-conditioning on high. Maybe that’s just the Cade effect. He makes me hot and bothered at the most inappropriate times.
As he pulls from the parking spot and drives toward the entrance of the lot, he asks, “What do you say, beautiful? Wanna go see one of my favorite spots?”
“Yes,” I reply instantly, realizing I really do want to see it. Wherever it is will give me a little more insight into the man sitting beside me.
He turns left onto the main artery through town and drives past the businesses I’ve come to know and patronize since I arrived in town.
I pay attention to the route he takes, still learning the streets and areas of Cooper Town.
We pass through a residential neighborhood and the grade school and eventually reach a wooded area on the edge of town.
We turn off the road and follow the winding path that’s big enough for two vehicles to pass safely.
There’s also walking trails and pavilion shelters of different sizes.
“This is the Cooper Town Park,” he says.
I take in the large space, everything from the women walking to the kids fishing in the pond. There’s a large pool with a splash pad that’s unoccupied off to the left, as well as a pickleball court, and a variety of playground equipment sprinkled throughout.
We drive down the lane and turn off in to the smaller of the two parking areas. Following his lead, I unfasten my seat belt and climb from the truck. When we meet at the back of his truck, I ask, “This is one of your favorite places?”
He nods, offering a faint grin.
“Because it’s a great place to pick up hot moms on the walking trails?” I tease, loving how his head falls back as he laughs.
“What? No,” he replies, shaking his head.
“While I know pretty much everyone who walks the trails, I don’t come here to pick them up.
Half the women are married, taught me in school, or work with my family.
Not exactly prime pickings for companionship, if you know what I mean.
” He takes a deep breath and looks out at the landscape.
“This is one of the places I come to decompress at the end of a long day.”
I scan the same view he’s taking in, and feel the tranquility and simplicity wash over me.
The trees are starting to turn, golden leaves mixed with an abundance of greenery, and the birds are singing a spirited melody as the sun drops for the evening.
There’s no one around, as most people are gathered near the playground equipment or walking trail.
Back here, it’s out of the way, almost private, and I like it.
“Come on,” he says, extending his hand toward me.
I take it without thinking and let him lead me toward the trees. “Should I send a text to a friend, telling her where I am?” I joke, noticing we’re veering off the trail.
“Not necessary. I’m rarely up to no good out here. Too many witnesses,” he states with a smile and a wink.
I look around and duck beneath a lower branch, careful not to trip over any of the limbs lying on the ground. “I don’t know. Looks pretty secluded to me. Is this where you’d take the girls to make out, back in the day?”
Again, he chuckles. “I plead the Fifth on that one. But when I was younger, some buddies, my brother, and I would come back here after we’d go to the pool for a while.
We used to throw rocks at beer and pop cans, or whatever else we could find.
Once we even snuck some beer from our friend Wyatt’s fridge and came back here to drink it.
The only reason we were busted was because we had flashlights and one of the town officers showed up.
Busted our asses hard. Took us all home and waited there until we told our parents what we did. ”
“Oh my goodness, how much trouble were you in?”
“At fourteen? Caught drinking a beer by a guy who went to school with my dad? Yeah, we were in some pretty deep shit. Wyatt had it worse though, because it was his dad’s beer.
His pops took him out to the barn and made him drink another one.
He only made it about halfway until he threw up.
Then, he had to clean it up and shower before he could go pass out.
Wyatt didn’t drink for a while after that,” he says with a chuckle.